Climate Change Series

Antarctica may not be as isolated as we thought, and that's a worry

May 27, 2016 06:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

For a long time, we have thought of Antarctica as isolated from the rest of the world. The continent is entirely surrounded by the Southern Ocean, which heaves with giant waves whipped up by intense winds, and is home to...

Climate Change Series

El Niño is over, but has left its mark across the world

May 25, 2016 23:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The 2015-16 El Niño has likely reached its end. Tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures, trade winds, cloud and pressure patterns have all dropped back to near normal, although clearly the events impacts around the...

Climate Change Series

Why we need better ways to cut greenhouse gases from agriculture

May 24, 2016 05:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Although 177 countries signed the Paris Agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in April 2016, the reductions they have pledged so far are not enough. To stand a chance of limiting warming to 2 degrees...

A guide to using drones to study wildlife: first, do no harm

May 24, 2016 00:13 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology Nature

Technological advances have provided many benefits for environmental research. Sensors on southern elephant seals have been used to map the Southern Ocean, while tracking devices have given us a new view of mass animal...

Here's how smart power could help the UK reach 100% renewable energy

May 24, 2016 00:10 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Both Portugal and Germany have recently succeeded in meeting almost all of their power needs using renewable energy. But at the moment, the UK falls far short of this feat. In 2015, less than a quarter of the countrys...

Climate Change Series

The paradox of peak-based ozone air pollution standards

May 20, 2016 10:10 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

And when she was good, she was very, very good, But when she was bad she was horrid. Henry Wadsworth Longfellows poem may have befit Houstons air around 1999, when the city briefly ranked as the New U.S. Smog...

Climate Change Series

Want to know if the Paris climate deal is working? University divestment is the litmus test

May 20, 2016 05:44 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature Business

The Paris climate agreement has been praised for sending a strong signal to the world that we are now serious about cutting greenhouse emissions. Yet despite the diplomatic acclaim, the Paris deal doesnt offer much in...